Why did Thomas Jefferson write that he would be happy if all dogs went extinct? What American workers were mocked by Theodore Roosevelt as “morose, melancholy men”? Why did Harley O. Gable of Armour & Company recommend that his meat-packing business manufacture violin strings?
In “American Sheep,” Brett Bannor answers these questions and more, detailing the key role that America’s flocks played in the nation’s development. During wartime, the United States’ dependency on foreign wool led to concerns over the sheep the country lacked. Beyond their wool, sheep were valued for their meat, byproducts after slaughter and efficiency at lawn maintenance.
Bannor shares the complex and fascinating relationship between Americans and their sheep and explains how the animal has significantly impacted the broader growth and development of the United States. The history of America’s sheep encompasses topics that touch on many cornerstones of the American experience such as warfare, enslavement, industrialization, feminism and labor relations.
